It Happened One February
by iloveromance
Summary: When he arrived at the Elliott Bay Towers that morning, Niles never dreamed that a simple act of kindness would be the one that changed his life forever. Written in celebration of my favorite holiday, Groundhog Day!


He'd come to the Elliott Bay for one reason and one reason only; to see his brother about an urgent matter. He sniffled, silently cursing the nosebleed that always accompanied a lie. apparently even when he was alone he was not immune to them. Quickly he retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the telltale signs of blood. He certainly didn't want his secret to come out; that he was not, in fact there to see Frasier at all. There was only one person in the world who could have enticed him out into the frigidly cold, very wet February morning. And that person was really the one he'd come to see.

Even before he entered the elevator, his heart began to beat madly at the thought of her. For she was the real reason that he was there.

Daphne...

He'd loved her for so long that he could barely remember how his one-sided love affair with her had begun. And yet he knew that he'd never forget the day they met. Yes, he loved her even if that love was, as they said, unrequited. Oh, how he'd come to hate that word!  
He made the decision to come to Frasier's easily. After having the most vivid dream imaginable about the beautiful woman with chestnut brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, he'd awakened that morning with the most incredible urge to see her.

After a quick breakfast, he showered and changed, choosing his wardrobe carefully as though he was preparing to go to the opera or the ballet. But the truth was that his impending visit to see Daphne Moon was much more important.

He chose clothing that was smart but not too formal for the occasion. Admittedly it had taken him much longer than usual to decide on what to wear, but he wanted to make sure that he looked absolutely perfect. Nothing less would do. And finally, leaving nothing to chance, he opted for the most sophisticated ensemble that he owned.

He slipped on the crisp white dress shirt and nervously began to fasten the buttons; a feat that was more difficult than he anticipated. Next came the pants; a silk Italian blend in charcoal grey. The matching jacket lay neatly across the back of his wing chair, as though waiting its turn. But first he had to add one more touch.  
He stepped further into his closet and pressed the button on his automatic tie rack. As the colors of silk moved round and round, he paused, smiling when he came to the one that stood out among all of the others.

It was a tie that he would never choose for himself, in the oddest shade of green that he'd ever laid eyes on. Embellished with tiny black dots, the tie took on a look that was vastly different than all of the others that he owned. And whenever he wore it in public, heads began to turn. He was grateful that only he knew the secret of where the tie really came from.

On the back of the tie, directly in the center of the Hugo Boss label was a tiny black mark, such as that of a felt pen. To his surprise it didn't mean that the tie was damaged, but rather it was placed there intentionally. The mark indicated, he later learned, that the tie had been purchased not at a genuine Hugo Boss store or even one of the exclusive men's clothing stores that were scattered. It had come from a place called an Outlet Mall. According to Roz, an Outlet Mall was a place that sold irregular or unwanted merchandise from popular name brand stores at embarrassingly discounted prices. The very idea that such places existed chilled Niles to the bone, and his mind traveled back to a rather unpleasant memory.

 _When he'd worn the tie for the very first time, he'd walked into Nervosa wearing a smile on his face and had not a care in the world. He reached the table where his brother sat reading The Seattle Times and began his ritual of wiping down the wooden chair with his handkerchief. However, he paused, seeing the look on Frasier's face. Niles sat down across from his brother and eyed him with annoyance. It only took Frasier a moment or two before his eyes widened, making Niles uncomfortable and annoyed._

 _"Something wrong Frasier?" Niles snapped._

 _"I was about to ask you the same question, Niles! Dear God, what are you wearing?"_

 _Niles feigned innocence. "Why, Frasier, I'm surprised! I thought you'd know a Butch Blum suit by sight!"_

 _"I know that, Niles! Dear God I have three of them in my own closet at home! I'm talking about that!"_

 _It didn't take a PhD to know that Frasier was referring to Niles' tie and self-consciously, Niles' hand went to the silk fabric that was tied neatly around his neck. But he knew that Frasier wouldn't give up. "Oh, you mean this?"_

 _"Yes Niles. That! Dear God, have you completely lost your senses? Why are you wearing such a hideous tie?"_

 _Niles felt a strange sense of annoyance at his brother's comment. "For your information Frasier, I happen to like this tie." And as he expected, Frasier looked at him as though he'd revealed that he was from outer space._

 _"Dear God Niles, are you feeling well?"_

 _Niles did his best to quell the anger that was rising inside of him. "If you must know, this tie was a gift!"_

 _"A gift? From whom?"_

 _At once Niles' anger dissipated, replaced with a feeling of utter happiness as he remembered the moment that he received it. He wasn't about to give Frasier the satisfaction of knowing the whole story. And instead he smiled dreamily, giving the only answer he needed to give._

 _"It was a gift from someone who means the world to me."_

 _Frasier didn't have to know that Niles was speaking of the angelic Daphne Moon._


End file.
